Daily Devotional

September 20

Twilight: A Good Worker

In September we read Paul's letter to Titus and his very last letter, called 2 Timothy. Paul's concern is that the true gospel be preserved and proclaimed by a faithful church.

Bible Reading:

2 TIm. 2:14–19

Bible Text:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who [is] not ... ashamed and who correctly handles the word (2 Tim. 2:15).

Devotional:

Do your best to be a good servant of your Master. Apply yourself. It takes zeal, exercise, and discipline. You and I need to hear this message over and over. God cannot use lazy workers.

"Present yourself to God as one approved," one who is tried and true. Every employer needs at least some employees who are reliable and accountable. God must, so to speak, be able to rely on us.

Become "a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." The main business of God's workers relates to the gospel. "Word of truth" is one of the many expressions Paul uses to refer to the Old Testament and the apostolic tradition. For us the apostolic tradition is the New Testament, so we think of the whole Bible as the Word of truth.

"Who correctly handles the word" is a somewhat difficult phrase. Literally it says, "who cuts it straight." (It does not mean "cut up" or "divide," which is what some people seem to think Paul told them to do with the Bible.) To understand the figure of speech, think of a path that cuts straight through the bush. Be accurate and plain, Paul says. Handle the word in the right way. Good workers are true to Scripture. They do not falsify it, and they do not mislead anyone.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version